Hola Chicas/Chicos…I pray all is well with everyone!
Ok, so I get this question a ton times ten on regimens for little Natty kids, so I thought, this would be a great opportunity to share how I care for my little one’s tresses to keep their hair clean, moisturized and most times, neat, lol (wink). This regimen, I do for our 2 year old and 3 year old son. Our olderst, who is 6, likes to cleanse and moisturize his own hair since he had it cut, but before that, his regimen was the same as the info below when I was growing it out. Now, for our newborn (1 month old), he’s slightly different in that, I dilute the cleanser more, but I do moisturize and seal in the moisture just as I will mention below. And as always, I hope this helps, guys!

STEP 1:KIDDY CLEANSING TIME…HOW IN THE WORLD DO THEY SIT STILL???

Hmm, great question, how in the world does she sit still while you cleanse..First, let me say, I found a method that works for us and that is, I do most of the cleansing process outside of the tub or sink..I mist the hair with our Natty ACV Hair and Scalp mist to loosen the dirt and buildup, especially from the scalp..I even allow them to spray their own hair to let them feel as though they are cleansing their own hair..Now, I usually do this while a great show is on (Dora, Peppa Pig, SuperWHY, Yo Gabba Gabba or some other fantastic kid show) or I let them play on their Ipad in a comfortable position so they are distracted or we sing..loudly, and I proceed to spray away and massage their scalp.

Once the hair is hydrated and damp, I finger detangle, gently, and place our daughter’s hair into 2 twists or braids (same method I use when cleansing my hair. Placing hair in twists or braids prevents the hair from retangling during the cleansing process).

Once the hair is in the twists or braids, I apply cleanser to my hands (usually Dudu Osum’s African Black Soap shampoo..only all natural for my little ones) and gently massage the cleanser into her scalp, first, then undo one twist/braid at a time and apply a little cleanser down the hair and retwist/braid back up and move to the next one. Doing a massage while cleansing gets the blood circulating promoting healthy hair growth..and kids love it!

This entire process takes about maybe 10-15 minutes..That’s 10-15 mintues that you have saved water, detangled and cleansed the hair.

PLEASE NOTE: I only shampoo cleanse our little ones’ hair once per month. Weekly, I co-wash (conditioner wash) the hair, which helps in retaining moisture in the hair. This works for us because we do not use synthetic ingredients or tons of product that would require a thorough cleansing using a shampoo as often.

STEP 2: NOW IT’S TIME TO RINSY RINSE THAT DIRT AWAY

Now that the cleansing part is over, it’s time to head to the bath or sink to rinse. By this time, she is calm and ready.

Once in the bath/sink, I unravel one twist/braid at a time and rinse the hair with lukewarm water and run my fingers through the hair allowing the weight of the water to help further the detangling process.

Voila, hair cleansed and rinsed and ready for conditioning.

STEP 3: CONDITION, RINSE, MOISTURIZE AND SEAL

Once the hair is rinsed, I apply our Natty Moist conditioner to the hair and finger it throughone sectionat a time to ensure each strand is coated, then retwist/braid.

While the conditioner is marinating on the hair(5-10 minutes at the most), we have fun bath time.

After about 5-10 minutes, we rinse the conditioner, and I pour a little Natty ACV Hair and Scalp Mist onto her hair as a final rinse…hmmm, what does this do, you ask? Well, the ACV helps to protect the hair and scalp from any possible soam residue, protects the scalp and hair from contaminants, fungi and bacteria possibities from tap water and it helps to close the cuticle, giving hair it’s smooth appearance. (If using plain ACV rinse, just add 1 TSP of ACV to 8 oz of cool water and pour onto hair and scalp. The smell will disappear within minutes)

Apply a little Natty Moist as her leave in

Seal the moisturized hair with our Natty Butter to ensure that the moisture is locked in. Remember, whenever you apply a moisturizer (water or a water based product), you must LOCK/SEAL the moisture in with a butter, oil, or combo of both. This is what helps the hair remain moisturized. I never apply oil or butter to her scalp as our scalp produces natural sebum and when we oil the scalp we are in essence clogging the pores and preventing the scalp from producing it’s natural oils. Once the scalp malfunction and this could potentially lead to scalp issues such as dry flaky scalp. The only time oil is pretty safe to apply is if doing a ‘hot oil treatment’ which is washed out after a certain time.

STEP 4…STYLE AS YOU CHOOSE

Now that the hair is clean, moisturized and sealed, you can style as you choose. Now, I rarely allow our daughter’s hair to be out due to the possiblity of retangling and achieving knots. So, I either place them in 4 plaits and wrap them in bantu knots or I give her some puffs, which I twist at night.

Now, at night, because she wouldn’t dare keep a satin scarf or bonnet on her head, I just place a satin pillow in her bed to keep her tresses moisturized.

DO’S AND DON’TS FOR THE LITTLE ONES

DO NOT… Detangle on hair that is dry!! This is a huge culprit for breakage and split ends..and it’s quite painful for the little one.

DO… Always gently detangle on damp or wet hair and begin detangling from tip, working your way up to the root.

DO..When remoisturizing hair thrughout the week..FIRST, apply water or a water based product to hydrate the hair, then apply a butter or oil to lock in the moisture.

DO NOT..Place hair in styles that create too much tention on the hair, especially the edges.

DO…Keep ends properly moisturized and sealed.

DO NOT..Try as hard as possible to work on the hair when your little ones are fed, not cranky or sleepy..no matter how gentle, they will make a fuss, so try to designate a convenient time when you are both alert and in great spirits.

DO..Use a wide tooth comb as your method of detangling should you choose to use a detangling tool..Or a detangling brush such as the denman or other wide tooth brush

DO..Remember, if you make it a non hassle pleasant hair grooming time, it won’t feel so much like a battle of the ages!! My mom was even impressed with how well our daughter doesn’t struggle to get her hair done..SCORE!!

Leila is the founding editor of Baby and Blog. She splits her time between editing hair and culture site, Black Girl with Long Hair, whipping up butters at BGLH Marketplace, and writing here. She adores her husband and two kids, her parents and her friends. But she hates Chicago weather although she is slowly coming to peace with it...